Handcut Dovetail Step Stool

Hand-cut dovetails are one of the most timeless and admired joints in woodworking. over the centuries, dovetails have been recognized for their strength, beauty, and a mark of true craftsmanship. In this class, you’ll learn the traditional techniques behind this timeless joint, working slowly and intentionally with hand tools. Designed for beginners, the course focuses on understanding the process, building confidence, and connecting you to a skill that woodworkers have valued for generations. By the end of the course, you will have built a hardwood step stool that is approximately 12 x 8 x 8" with dovetail joints.

No prior experience needed for this course, all supplies and materials are provided. But if you've taken my Bench Hook and Wood Mallet course, please bring both and you'll get another chance to use them! Partcipants will be introduced to each tool, guided through the steps, and have lots of hands-on experience.
We'll be sawing and chiseling for a majority of this workshop, so be prepared to work!

This 5-hour workshop is hosted at Clear Creek Makerspace and open to everyone. $175 per participant, $140 for CCM members.

Please wear comfortable well-fitted clothing, close-toed shoes, put your hair up, and be prepared to get a little dirty :)

Discover the joy of turning raw wood into something beautiful with my 5-part woodworking series—designed for absolute beginners and guided step-by-step. You’ll build real projects, learn essential tools and joinery, and leave with the confidence to design and create your own custom pieces. I recommend taking these courses in order as each subsequent course will layer on more advanced topics. That said, none of these courses will have pre-requistives, so feel free to take any course that piques your interest. Take all five and I will present you with a custom built piece to award your journey with me!

• -- Learn how to safely use essential wood shop equipment such as the miter saw, planer, jointer, table saw, bandsaw, router table, and more.
• -- Beginner joinery such as butt, rabbet, dowel, domino, pocket holes, grooves, dados, french cleats and more.
• -- Intermediate joinery such as sliding dovetails and the mortise and tenon.
• Woodworking IV: Handcut Dovetail Step Stool -- Advanced joinery such as handcut dovetails. This course will focus on layout, cutting pins and tails for a perfect fit... and fixing gaps post-mortem.

• Woodworking V: Bending & Laminations Serving Tray (TBA)-- Advanced topics such as bending on a hot iron and using multi-part or structural forms to build laminations.

Picture Frames, Hardwood Knife Scales

As part of the course, you'll learn:

• Why dovetails are so classic
• How to properly layout dovetails
• Hand sawing techniques with a Dozuki saw
• Chiseling techniques
• Using the bandsaw to quickly remove waste
• How to mark and measure dovetails for a perfect fit
• Glue-up methods
• Best practices for fixing any pesky gaps
• Sanding and finishing

The step stool will be approxiately 12 x 8 x 8"

A variety of hardwoods will be provided, such as walnut, maple, mahogany, cherry, and more. The hardwood will already be milled and ready for joinery. If you want to learn how to process raw wood, please take Intro to Woodworking.

At the end of the course, you will have ready-to-use step stool with dovetail joinery!

David is a skilled handyman and fine woodworker with a passion for building, fixing, learning, and teaching. He runs Applewood Handyman as well as Moon Rabbit Woodworker, small businesses where he design-builds custom pieces ranging from hardwood picture frames and flamingo-inspired bent lamination side tables to built-in cabinets and solid wood tabletops. With a background in mechanical engineering, David combines creativity and technical precision to his work. Follow his Instragram @MoonRabbit.Woodworker!

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